LaFayette COG YCE

the ADVENTure

brockbruce — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 21:02:00 +0000

Our series for Christmas is “the ADVENTure: heaven came”. During December at FUEL we will be looking at what it means that “God became man and made His home among us…” John 1:14. I hope that you can come and bring a friend as we remind ourselves of the greatest gift ever given… Jesus.

Upcoming YCE Events

brockbruce — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 21:01:00 +0000

Our True Immortal Hero

brockbruce — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:06:00 +0000

Are you looking for a biblical way to respond to the Twilight craze? Kimberly Powers, a national speaker devoted to helping girls realize who they are in Christ, has written “Escaping the Vampire” to help you find the True Immortal Hero. Wanna know more? Her web site insearchofaprincess.org says “Author and conference speaker Kimberly Powers explores this question in her new book, Escaping the Vampire: Desperate For The Immortal Hero. Powers reveals why Vampire Lit strikes such a chord among teen girls, revealing their hearts’ profound desire to be fought for and protected, and to share life with an immortal hero. Yet the reality is, these young women face their own dark demons. More than any other generation behind them, they battle daily the “life-sucking” issues of divorce, abuse, sexual tension, boredom, and depression. Satan, the Ultimate Vampire, preys upon these girls by offering illusions of escape—sexual activity, cutting, fantasy, perfectionism, substance abuse, eating disorders, and unhealthy relationships— only to sink his fangs further into their lives, plunging his victims into deeper pain, paralysis, and hopelessness.
Written for Twilight fans, Escaping the Vampire draws on themes presented in the popular series— romance, superhuman powers, mystery and adventure—to offer girls a real Immortal Hero who sacrificially loves, fiercely protects, and never abandons. Powers weaves vampire lore with biblical truths and real-life stories, making a compelling presentation of Christ as the true escape from sin’s life- sucking traps and the only fulfillment of the heart’s deepest desires. Moms and youth mentors will appreciate insight into the Twilight obsession and find tools to engage with their daughters on these important subjects.”
Check out what Terry Delaney at christianbooknotes.com has to say, ‘Divided into three parts, Kimberly first sets out to shatter the illusion of the “epic love story” found in most vampire novels. She explains how the allure of the vampire mystique leads down a dark road that would frighten most young ladies (and men) away in real life. Sadly, the longing for a deep, unconditional love causes the young woman to continue venturing down the dark road–the promise of that love is too irresistible.
After showing how hollow and dark vampire tales really are, Kimberly points the reader to the One who does love unconditionally and sent His Son to rescue us all in what is truly the most epic love story of all time. This moves us into the second part of her book where the reader learns Who this person is that loves her so much to die for her. Kimberly shows how we are in need of forgiveness and how we are rescued by His love which leads to our understanding of what we must do to have a relationship with this Man.
The third part helps the young girl to understand who she is in Christ. She will see His undying love for her played out in the real world and not on the pages of some fantasy novel. Ultimately, by the end of this book, the reader will come face to face with the One who lived, died, and lived again so that we can have a relationship with Him.
I would encourage anyone who enjoys the series or anyone who is a parent of someone who enjoys the series to check out her website. There you can read a chapter of the book, Escaping the Vampire, watch some video of Kimberly’s sessions, as well as check out a really cool resource for mom’s (or teens) called mom’s resource that you can discuss with your teens or your friends about how we can and why we should Escape the Vampire. You can also Hear Kimberly Powers talk about the book here. I hope you will check it out.

Two Big Albums Dropped This Week (and they’re from Christians)

brockbruce — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:47:00 +0000

Two huge albums came out this week and they’ve both been in the iTunes Top 10 album chart all week (Owl City is there as well but that album released several weeks ago). Cool thing is, these albums are from Christians. People who claim Christ and who’s lives are shaped by a Biblical worldview. These bands are Flyleaf and Switchfoot. I know other bands from a Christian worldview have been in the iTunes chart before (The Fray, Needtobreath, David Crowder* Band, Toby Mac) but to me this is a big deal. Two Christian albums released on the same day and both charted… big. So I wanted to share some reviews, lyrics, and link to videos from the two bands.

SWITCHFOOT
Christianmusictoday.com (full review here) says “Using their self-built home studio, the prolific collective churned 80-plus songs, relentlessly fine-tuning the final 12 tracks until they felt just right. As a result, this record boasts more than epic melodies or fine song craftsmanship and primo production. Hello Hurricane may be the first record Switchfoot can truly call all its own…
More than just picking up where 2006′s Oh Gravity! left off, Hello Hurricane’s broad musical landscape supports a deep lyrical dig into the grief of the human heart and brazenly extends eternal hope for the soul. This recording is bound to be the beginning of a meaningful new chapter for Switchfoot.”
The first single off the new record is Mess of Me. (watch video here) In the song Jon Foreman sings “we lock our souls in cages inside these prison cells/ it’s hard to free the ones you love when you can’t forgive yourself/ I’ve made a mess of me/ I want to reverse this tragedy/ I’ve made a mess of me / I want to spend the rest of my life alive” Talking about the song Foreman says, “Lyrically the song is yearning for abundant life to spring from past mistakes. The song attempts to explore the darkest parts of the human animal and transcend them, rising above these gloomy moments to find true life. If you’re Freud, you call these darker urges the death drive. If you’re St. Paul, you talk about doing the things you don’t want to do. Whatever you call them, these dark places destroy us if we leave them unchecked. I feel that tension everyday, between the right and the wrong, between life and death. And yet there is no easy path to freedom from self. It’s a narrow road and few find it. We’ve all thought about the quick fix: that special something/someone that could take the pain away. Yet the problems in my life are much bigger than any temporary solution. We die a little everyday- physically, spiritually; we are in sorry shape. Ain’t no drug to make me well. Ain’t no drug that can relieve me from the monster of myself. Ain’t no one to blame. But my decision is made. I want to follow this through… I want to spend the rest of my life alive. “

FLYLEAF
FLyleaf is a hard rock band fronted by Lacey Mosley. You can hear her vocals on the Third Day song “Born Again” and on the new DC*B album “Church Music”. Of course her band is a bit harder than either one of those bands. Lacy Mosley’s testimony is one of deliverance from drugs, depression, suicidal tendencies and anger towards God to a life of hope and peace in the salvation that comes from the Son of God. In interviews she often speaks of her life changing supernatural encounter with God at a church in Gulfport, Mississippi.
Christianmusictoday.com says this about the new album Memento Mori (full review here), “Memento Mori (a Latin phrase meaning “remember you will die”) is no pop rock album. Full of chugging guitars, gang vocals, and screams, this hardcore rock isn’t watered down. Opening track “Again” sets the tone with these lyrics: “I love the way that your heart breaks with every injustice and deadly fate/Praying it all be new, and living like it all depends on you.” The distorted, choppy riff of headbanger “Beautiful Bride” brings a solid beat and catchy vocal line.
Flyleaf’s sound is fresh, young, and experimental, but with years of experience, their sound is also tight, smart, andskillfully executed. With a strong band and well-written songs, Mosley’s captivating voice is icing on the cake. Flipping between strong, gutsy vocal lines, sweet whispery high notes, and even screaming on a few tunes, this is a singer who isn’t to be underestimated. She communicates with passion, giving the songs life and meaning.”
The current single from this album is “Beautiful Bride”, a very cool hard rock song about the Church, the body of Christ. Extolling the virtues of the being apart of the ekklesia. I love this song, check out the lyrics:

“Beautified diversity Functioning as one body/ Every part encouraged by the other No one independent of another/ You’re irreplaceable, indispensable You’re incredible You’re incredible
(Chorus)
Beautiful bride
Body of Christ
One flesh abiding
Strong and unifying
Fighting ends in forgiveness
Unite and fight all division
Beautiful bride

Strengthen your arms now Train your fingers for battle/ Urgency’s here now Train your fingers for battle/ Fighting this violence With your feet wrapped in peace/ Sad tears and silence Now screams of joy/ Victory

(Chorus)
Beautiful bride
Body of Christ
One flesh abiding
Strong and unifying
Fighting ends in forgiveness
Unite and fight all division
Beautiful bride

Beautiful bride
Body of Christ
One flesh abiding
Strong and unifying

We’re not gonna fall and forget/ How far You went to pick us up
If one part’s hurt the whole body’s sick/ If one part mourns we all mourn with Him
Rejoice, we’ll sing with you
Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah

(Chorus)
Beautiful bride
Body of Christ
One flesh abiding
Strong and unifying
Fighting ends in forgiveness
Unite and fight all division
Beautiful bride”

Check out the video for the song here.

Married in God’s Eyes

brockbruce — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:42:00 +0000

Boundless Line
November 5, 2009 5:45 PM
by Suzanne Hadley Gosselin

Married in God’s Eyes

Not too long ago, I read on the front cover of a Christian college newspaper about a couple who had made their own marriage commitment, spur of the moment, by themselves, on a beach. They told friends and relatives about it later, after they’d secured a marriage license. The couple’s justification for their seeming indiscretion was that they were “married in the eyes of the Lord.”

Something about this article really troubled me. I suppose you could make a case that the couple had physically made a covenant before God by consummating their relationship. But, to me (and I’m guessing to their family and friends), it appeared to be a lack of self-control. In his article, “Is Living Together Really a Big Deal?” author Ed Gungor makes a similar observation:

Most of us know people who are in love, plan to marry and currently live together. It’s sort of the new premarital counseling program. I visited a church out West that had a “pre-marriage” ceremony for a couple living together. No license. No wedding dress. Just a prayer of blessing to hold them over until the couple walked down the aisle—a kind of marital “appetizer,” I guess. I asked the pastor why they did it. He said, “The couple believes they are married in the eyes of the Lord, and we just wanted them to feel affirmation in our community.”

What did I think about it? I was bummed about it. I actually believe that marriage needs to be public and people need to vow into it in front of those who matter to them—it’s not just a private matter in front of the Lord. Truth is, those who declare they are married “in God’s eyes” seem to reframe their claim when they break up with their live-in partner. Then they claim they were never “really married.” This makes me very dubious about the “married in the eyes of the Lord” doctrine.

Gungor gives one of the best explanations I’ve ever heard of the emotional and psychological reasons sex should be saved for marriage. Beyond that, he reaffirms the value of a public demonstration of marriage:

If a Christian couple loves each other enough to jump in the hay, I think they should get married in the eyes of God and the rest of us. Marriage is not a private sacrament; it impacts the whole community of faith. It’s the right thing to do, and disciples do the right thing. They don’t just live on love—emotions, feelings and hormones—they live on principles, beliefs and disciplines that develop character. Pagans (and children) only live for themselves—they live for the “now” and feelings alone.

There were moments during our engagement when my now-husband and I had to remind ourselves of the importance of self-control and living above reproach in the courtship process. And it came down to what Gungor expresses here: “Disciples do the right thing.” We may be tempted to find loopholes, but in the end it is gratifying and beneficial … and just plain right … to follow God’s plan.

Tales from the Darkside: A Letter to Satan

brockbruce — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:34:00 +0000

This brought tears to my eyes and strength to my spirit. A few things to remind you of…

1 – SATAN IN A LIAR
John 8:44-You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

2 – HE IS LOOKING FOR YOU TO DESTROY YOU
1 Pet 5:8-Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

3 – BUT JESUS ALREADY TORE HIM UP
Col 2:13-15-And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him”

4 – AND SET US FREE
Col 1:13-He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son.

Student Rights in Public Schools

brockbruce — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:37:00 +0000

A question came up today with one of my youth ministry students regarding their right to read the Bible at school.I told them that of course the had the right to read the Bible at school. But if you want a more authoritative word than mine check out this post from Answers in Genesis. They site law and answer specific questions including…
1. May a student use a pencil or notebook with a Christian slogan or Bible verse printed on it?
2. May a student wear a tee-shirt or button with a religious slogan, Bible verse, or anti-abortion message printed on it?
3. May a student give out Gospel tracts or religious literature to his classmates?
4. May a student witness to his classmates about Jesus or pray with other students on the school campus?
5. May a student say grace before eating his lunch?
6. May a student read the Bible during the school day?
7. May students organize Bible clubs in public schools?
8. May students write book reports or English themes or do oral assignments based on religious subjects?
9. May Christian students be excused from participation in activities they find objectionable?
10. May student graduation speakers mention their Christian faith and/or read from the Bible?
There are a couple more that they answer as well. Check it out if you feel like your light is trying to be put out.

Tales from the Darkside: Who Bella Really Needs

brockbruce — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:20:00 +0000

The story of Twilight is huge. It’s a story of love, fear, sacrifice, and vampires. The book has sold tons, with over 17 million in print. The first movie won awards and made serious cash, almost $200 million at the box office. The next in the series is sure to blow up in November. Every girl (and mom) seemingly wants Edward to bite her. Every guy wants to be as powerful and sincere and Edward (for the girls of course). So what is a Christian to do with Twilight. Hannah Goodwyn tackles that very topic here. She’s actually read the book so she knows what she’s talking about.
She says, “Vampire shows and movies aren’t a new concept in entertainment. However, the Twilight characters have propelled this trend into a bigger phenomenon that should not be ignored. Its popularity begs the need for parents to pay attention to what their kids are reading and watching. Is a book burning session the answer? No. What our culture ultimately needs is the understanding of God vs. the occult.
Through a web of complicated events, readers are faced with important lessons that many parents would want their kids to learn and adapt into their lives. These themes of love, sacrifice, and selflessness are all great pluses in the series. However, the occultism in this completely fictional story is overpowering.”
I mentioned this story during our first Wednesday in the “Tales from the Darkside” series. I think there is great potential to present the gospel to those who have read the book or watched the movie. Just tell them who Bella really needs.
Bella loves Edward. He is strong, sensitive, selfless, supernatural. He is also immortal. In the story, Edward takes the poison from her body and rescues her from an evil vampire coven. She loves the thought of being with him forever. She could be immortal with him. But he refuses to make her a vampire, refusing to give into his own desire for her blood. It’s easy to see that that kind of selfless, sacrificial love would be yearned for by Bella. It’s also easy to see how girls (and moms) could fall for Edward, because everyone wants to be loved like that. Everyone wants a love that never ends. Everyone wants to feel special, to know that the one that you love is willing to give up their own wants to keep you safe. See, that’s what Jesus did. Jesus gave up everything (Phil 2:1-11). He sacrificed his own life to be with you (John 10:18). His is a strong, selfless, sacrificial, everlasting, supernatural love. And it’s not a fairytale. It is the truth. Because of the spilling of Christ’s blood we are made immortal (Col 1:19,20). When we accept the sacrifice of Jesus and put our faith in his work on the cross we have everlasting life (John 3:16). Edward may be the popular choice right now, but the immortal guy she (every other guy and girl) needs in Jesus. Edward may take out the poison but Jesus bore our sins in his body, conquered death, defeated satan, and rose for the dead to secure our future with Him (1 Peter 2:24; Rom 8:11; 1 John 3:8; Titus 2:12-14). Edward is just a poor reflection of the resurrected Christ Jesus. “When you can live forever, what do you live for?”

Tales from the Darkside: A Story from Hell

brockbruce — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:54:00 +0000

This video was made by the FUELyouth creative worship team to point out the sadness of life and eternity without Christ. Unless something happened to Kurt that we are completely unaware of, this is a true story. Be careful what you choose to be entertained by, Satan is tricky. As a matter of fact Jesus said he is the Father of lies, and the truth is not in him (John 8:44). He wants to drag you to hell, and he will do whatever he can to destroy you.

Tales from the Darkside from brock bruce on Vimeo.

Tales from the Darkside:Hell

brockbruce — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 21:05:00 +0000

During the month of October we are doing a series called Tales from the Darkside: The Occult, Hell, and the Devil. I am going to be posting some additional material here, starting with some notes on hell from Mark Driscoll at The Mars Hill Blog.

How is God’s kingdom manifest in hell?

Jesus speaks of hell more than anyone else in the Bible. Furthermore, eleven of the twelve occasions that hell is spoken of as Gehenna in the New Testament are on the lips of Jesus.

The Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible explains Gehenna saying,

English transliteration of the Greek form of an Aramaic word which in turn is derived from the Hebrew phrase “the Valley of [the son(s) of] Hinnom.” The name properly designates a deep valley delimiting the territories of the tribes of Benjamin and Judah (Jos 15:8; 18:16). It is commonly identified with the W?di er-Rab?bi which runs from beneath the western wall of the Old City, forming a deep ravine south of Jerusalem. The place became notorious because of the idolatrous practices which were carried out there in the days of Judah’s kings Ahaz and Manasseh, especially involving the heinous crime of infant sacrifice associated with the Molech ceremonies (2 Kgs 16:3; 21:6; 2 Chr 28:3; 33:6; Jer 19:56; 32:35). The spiritual reformation of King Josiah brought an end to these sinister proceedings (2 Kgs 23:10). The prophet Jeremiah referred to the valley in picturing God’s judgment upon his people (Jer 2:23; 7:30–32; 19:5, 6)… Subsequently, the valley appears to have been used for the burning of the city’s refuse and the dead bodies of criminals. Interestingly, a well-established tradition locates the scene of Judas’ suicide and the consequent purchase of the Potter’s Field on the south side of this valley. The ravine’s reputation for extreme wickedness gave rise, especially during the intertestamental period, to use of its name as a term for the place of final punishment for the wicked (Enoch 18:11–16; 27:1–3; 54:1 ff.; 56:3, 4; 90:26; 2 Esd 7:36; cf. Is 30:33; 66:24; Dn 7:10). Jesus himself utilizes the term to designate the final abode of the unrepentant wicked (Mt 5:22; 10:28; 18:9). Since Gehenna is a fiery abyss (Mk 9:43), it is also the Lake of Fire (Mt 13:42, 50) to which all the godless will ultimately be consigned (23:15, 33), together with Satan and his hosts (Mt 25:41; Rv 19:20; 20:10, 14, 15). Gehenna must be carefully differentiated from other terms relative to the afterlife or final state. Whereas the OT “Sheol” (cf. NT “Hades”), uniformly designates the temporary abode of the lost between death and resurrection when referring to the place of the departed spirit of man, “Gehenna” specifies the final place where the wicked will suffer everlasting punishment (cf. Ps 49:15, 16 with Mt 10:28). “Tartarus” occurs only in 2 Peter 2:4 and identifies the particular abode of the angels who fell in the primeval satanic revolt.

(Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Book House, 1988). 844)

Wayne Grudem defines hell as follows: “Hell is a place of eternal conscious punishment for the wicked.” (Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994), 1148.) Grudem also observes that the denial of the traditional view of hell often indicates a movement away from orthodoxy. “Because the doctrine of eternal conscious punishment is so foreign to the thought patterns of our culture, and, on a deeper level, to our instinctive and God-given sense of love and desire for redemption for every human being created in God’s image, this doctrine is emotionally one of the most difficult doctrines for Christians to affirm today. It also tends to be one of the first doctrines given up to people who are moving away from a commitment to the Bible as absolutely truthful in all that it affirms. Among liberal theologians who do not accept the absolute truthfulness of the Bible, there is probably no one today who believes in the doctrine eternal conscious punishment.” (Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994), 1151, n. 16.)

In the closing chapter of our book Vintage Jesus Dr. Gerry Breshears and I spoke of hell in this way:

Not only will Jesus judge with perfect justice, he will also sentence the unrepentant to perfectly suited punishment in hell for their sins. (Eccl. 12:14; Matt. 12:36; Luke 12:2–3, 47–48; 20:47; Rom. 2:5–7; Rev. 20:12–13) Some who wince at the doctrine and find it incompatible with the loving nature of Jesus may be surprised to discover that Jesus spoke of hell more than anyone in Scripture. (Matt. 8:11–12, 29; 13:40–42; 18:8–9; 22:13; 24:50–51; 25:30, 41, 46; Mark 9:43–48; Luke 12:46–48; 16:19–31) In fact, British philosopher Bertrand Russell said, “There is one very serious defect to my mind in Christ’s moral character, and that is that He believed in hell.” (Bertrand Russell, Why I Am Not a Christian (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1957), 17) Tragically, unless he turned to Jesus before his death, Russell came to agree with Jesus, discovering in the most painful way that Jesus rules even in hell, over Satan, demons, and unrepentant sinners…(Rev. 14:9–11) God is literally holy, we are literally sinful, Jesus literally died to forgive our sin, and if we fail to receive his forgiveness, we will literally stand before him for judgment and be sentenced to a literal hell as an act of literal justice. To be honest, the doctrine of hell does not bother me. It makes perfect sense that guilty people would be sentenced and punished for their evil. What has always bothered me is heaven. How could a holy God allow any sinner to enter heaven? Furthermore, how could a loving God allow evil to continue without stopping it forever and bringing justice to all of the victims before wiping all their tears? Indeed, the joys of heaven and not the pains of hell are more difficult for me to reconcile with the character of a good God. The cold, hard truth is that for those who do not love Jesus, this life is as close to heaven as they will ever get. Hell awaits them.

Lastly, perhaps the most haunting verse regarding hell in all of Scripture is Revelation 14:10 which shows Jesus ruling and reigning over hell ensuring that Satan, demons, and sinners are punished as Scripture says “according to their work.”